Tyron Woodley Needs More Impressive Victories for a Title Shot

By Kevin Davidson

Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Tyron Woodley is having a tough time in the UFC so far. He had to fight Jake Shields and lost a controversial decision. It is bad to lose in the UFC, but losing in a fight that no one liked is infinitely worse. He was then given a considerably tougher opponent in Josh Koscheck, and apparently that was just what the doctor ordered. In a move that shocked everyone, Woodley absolutely starched Koscheck — I mean it sounded like an M80 went off in the arena when he connected on that second punch. It was a victory that got everyone’s eyebrows moving.

Dana White thought a fight against Carlos Condit would show how good Woodley really is, but then disaster struck. Condit busted his knee in the second round and the fight was stopped. Although it was a victory for Woodley, it left a sour taste in the mouth of White and the fans. The problem was that Condit is such an unpredictable fighter that anything could have happened if the fight had continued. We will never know, and Woodley does not get much credit for that fight. Now, he is lined up to fight the Canadian Psycho, Rory MacDonald. If Woodley wins this fight, he would still need at least one more victory to get a title shot.

I don’t say that to take any credit away from MacDonald — the guy is seriously talented, not to mention extremely creepy. But MacDonald is still young in his career, and has never had a title shot himself. While MacDonald is at the top of the division, he himself still needs a couple of signature wins. Woodley has had a tough road to get to where he is, but I think that if he is able to get past MacDonald, it will only get tougher.